Sunday Downtime - All Evolve Media Sites are being migrated to a new data center Sunday Dec 11, 2016. The migration will occur during an 8 AM to 2 PM (Pacific Time) maintenance window. We will have up to 1 hour of downtime for any of our sites.

Yea I totally agree, anyone who has actually played hockey know its a game of inches. Reimer was in good position, it was a perfect tip that left him on the wrong end. It happens

This... To take it farther, anyone who has ever played goalie understands how difficult it is to stop a redirection. You read the shot off the stick, if it hits anything on the way through it's extremely difficult to pick it up again, let alone adjust your body in time if you even do see it.

I imagine this effect is multiplied at the NHL level, where guys can absolutely hammer the puck.

The most encouraging thing for the Leafs is the fact that Reimer appears to have left last year's struggles behind. A .918 save percentage thus far has given the team something Carlyle has repeatedly asked for -- a chance.

Reimer might not be stealing games but he's yet to have an ugly performance. And he's starting to look a lot like the guy who took Toronto by storm two years ago before essentially losing last season to a concussion and neck injury.

The goal yestrerday wasn't Reimers fault, it was Phaneufs. He did a terrible job on that play.

This is a recording...
Reimer has been a beast and I have been really happy with his play!! so glad Allaire is out and if it wasn't for Dion who probably caused 8-10 GA this year who knows where his #'s would be..

Last night again:
goal #1 - Dion playing the 2 on 1 had no idea what he was doing... Credit to shooter tho nice shot but weakly defended...
goal #2 worried about the flamingo rather than tying up Ladd stick... How many times have we seen him fail to tie the stick this year...

although its unfair to say these were Dions biggest mistakes as they are more debatable then other goals this year... he still seems to be a part of almost every goal...

He's 25th/33 and 30th/33 in SV%, GAA, respectively, out of all goaltenders with >78 game sample size since 2010-2011.

If that's your definition of "very good", so be it. Personally, I would preferred if you didn't make your narrative blatantly obvious by skewing data completely in your favour, like only taking subsets of data only at the age of 24, and comparing trajectories to show a favourable outcome that only fits your narrative- excluding those that don't.

nobody is arguing that he provided NHL starting calibre goaltending last year.

He's 25th/33 and 30th/33 in SV%, GAA, respectively, out of all goaltenders with >78 game sample size since 2010-2011.

If that's your definition of "very good", so be it. Personally, I would preferred if you didn't make your narrative blatantly obvious by skewing data completely in your favour, like only taking subsets of data only at the age of 24, and comparing trajectories to show a favourable outcome that only fits your narrative- excluding those that don't.

Who cares? It's a new season and he's playing like he did when he first came up. Last year was due to the concussion he had. I don't get why you can't accept the present.

The grass is always greener on the other side. Reimer is much more proven and is showing that he could be relied on for now. The only reason to trade for Bernier would be to back him up, but Scrivens has done a decent job so far.

The thing with Reimer is he only plays solid, or less than solid (tendency to let in a lot of soft goals, last season still gives me nightmares.). He's not the type that will ever steal games. Personally, I feel goaltending is the most important position in this game by far, having an elite one is almost a requisite to being an elite team. Thus, I can never be satisfised by the mediocrity that Reimer entails.

And Yes, it's fair to say I've been somewhat spoiled by Cujo + Belfour, but after the years of incompetence of Toskala, Raycroft, etc. I think I've also earned my fair share of both sides of the spectrum.

The thing with Reimer is he only plays solid, or less than solid (tendency to let in a lot of soft goals, last season still gives me nightmares.). He's not the type that will ever steal games. Personally, I feel goaltending is the most important position in this game by far, having an elite one is almost a requisite to being an elite team. Thus, I can never be satisfised by the mediocrity that Reimer entails.

And Yes, it's fair to say I've been somewhat spoiled by Cujo + Belfour, but after the years of incompetence of Toskala, Raycroft, etc. I think I've also earned my fair share of both sides of the spectrum.

How can you completely discredit his injury last year, and the fact he returned to the team when the "18 Wheeler" was on the precipice of going over? Elite goaltending would have succeeded in getting us a draft pick in the 7-10 range. Thats it.

We have come back to win in the 3rd periord in 3 of the last 4 games IIRC (Buffalo, Washington, Winnipeg). Reimer most certainly did not let in soft goals in those games when it mattered. Back breaking goals like goalies of the past. I'd argue he didnt let in any seriously weak goals in those games at all.

How can you completely discredit his injury last year, and the fact he returned to the team when the "18 Wheeler" was on the precipice of going over? Elite goaltending would have succeeded in getting us a draft pick in the 7-10 range. Thats it.

We have come back to win in the 3rd periord in 3 of the last 4 games IIRC (Buffalo, Washington, Winnipeg). Reimer most certainly did not let in soft goals in those games when it mattered. Back breaking goals like goalies of the past. I'd argue he didnt let in any seriously weak goals in those games at all.

People have seen so many negatives on this team through the years that they basically want to put Reimer into the same category.

James Reimer has not costed the Leafs two points this season. On the contrary, he's been there when the team in front of him hasn't.

He held us in the Rangers game till the team in front of him just broke apart with 10 minutes to go in the third.

Stopped breakaways, 2 on 1's, PP chances..

There are lot of positives, but with the Leafs, it's always easier for fans to pick out the negatives.

How can you completely discredit his injury last year, and the fact he returned to the team when the "18 Wheeler" was on the precipice of going over? Elite goaltending would have succeeded in getting us a draft pick in the 7-10 range. Thats it.

We have come back to win in the 3rd periord in 3 of the last 4 games IIRC (Buffalo, Washington, Winnipeg). Reimer most certainly did not let in soft goals in those games when it mattered. Back breaking goals like goalies of the past. I'd argue he didnt let in any seriously weak goals in those games at all.

No one is discrediting anything. But at the same token, it is unfair to completely write off that season, he missed a significant amount of time and seemingly came back healthy with his job back. If we were to take a sample size of his games since he's been a starter, he's not necessarily even close to a "average starting goaltender", period. Just like it would be unfair for one to completely use his half-season sample size (the leafs are great at half-season sample sizes, aren't they), and use it as proof he's a supposedly great goaltender. That's the narrative that I've been trying to dispel, not that he doesn't have "upside" or anything of that nature.

25/33 SV% since 10-11, 30/33 in GAA. Yet people on here are continuing to erroneously spew the notion that he is a "well above an average starting goaltender in this league". Are there even 5-7 teams where he is the legitimate starter, let alone 15? I'm not discrediting Reimer at all, it's just overbearing when you have people on here erroneously spewing nonsense.

You outline that he hasn't let in soft goals "when it mattered", that's a pretty completely favourable scenario don't you think? When does it "matter" exactly?

Personally, I find he's let in many soft goals this year, but no one's perfect, you can say the same about many goaltenders thus far over a small sample size. What I'm more concerned about his body of work and the qualitative observations one can judge.

You talk about a small subset of games, I'll just merely refer to last night's game against the Jets. I'm not a fan of either goal he let in last night. This "close your eyes" and try to look big scenario that has appeared to be signature of Reimer's goaltending style was no less evident than in the second goal last night. These are concerns for anyone that has high expectations for Reimer, or this team. As I've said, goaltending is key in a requisite to building a great team. My expectations have always been to judge based on a standard of excellence, not mediocrity, so I cannot be as overly optimistic of Reimer as some as you have been. Erroneously clamoring that he is an average starting NHL goaltender in this league is simply put, a falsehood.

Based off the jets game, we probably have completely different opinions on whether certain goals are soft, which I'm fine with. But personally, I thought both goals last night was a product of poor goaltending (i.e soft goals that he should have had).

No one is discrediting anything. But at the same token, it is unfair to completely write off that season, he missed a significant amount of time and seemingly came back healthy with his job back. If we were to take a sample size of his games since he's been a starter, he's not necessarily even close to a "average starting goaltender", period. Just like it would be unfair for one to completely use his half-season sample size (the leafs are great at half-season sample sizes, aren't they), and use it as proof he's a supposedly great goaltender. That's the narrative that I've been trying to dispel, not that he doesn't have "upside" or anything of that nature.

25/33 SV% since 10-11, 30/33 in GAA. Yet people on here are continuing to erroneously spew the notion that he is a "well above an average starting goaltender in this league". Are there even 5-7 teams where he is the legitimate starter, let alone 15? I'm not discrediting Reimer at all, it's just overbearing when you have people on here erroneously spewing nonsense.

You outline that he hasn't let in soft goals "when it mattered", that's a pretty completely favourable scenario don't you think? When does it "matter" exactly?

Personally, I find he's let in many soft goals this year, but no one's perfect, you can say the same about many goaltenders thus far over a small sample size. What I'm more concerned about his body of work and the qualitative observations one can judge.

You talk about a small subset of games, I'll just merely refer to last night's game against the Jets. I'm not a fan of either goal he let in last night. This "close your eyes" and try to look big scenario that has appeared to be signature of Reimer's goaltending style was no less evident than in the second goal last night. These are concerns for anyone that has high expectations for Reimer, or this team. As I've said, goaltending is key in a requisite to building a great team. My expectations have always been to judge based on a standard of excellence, not mediocrity, so I cannot be as overly optimistic of Reimer as some as you have been. Erroneously clamoring that he is an average starting NHL goaltender in this league is simply put, a falsehood.

Based off the jets game, we probably have completely different opinions on whether certain goals are soft, which I'm fine with. But personally, I thought both goals last night was a product of poor goaltending (i.e soft goals that he should have had).